BISMARCK’S GERMANYDOMESTIC POLICIES
The Unification of Germany 1871- 1890
The German Empire in 1871
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Who (specifically) held control in the Reich?
Reichstag? Strengths and Weaknesses
Bundesrat?
Chancellor?
Was the Empire Prussia version 2.0?
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Why was Bismarck so powerful after 1871?
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What was the role of the army in the new Germany?
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How united was Germany in 1871?
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“Who” were Germans in 1871?
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Farmer and Stiles- 102- 108
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Domestic Policy 1871-1890
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Bismarck and the Liberals…describe their relationship from
what you know/remember?
“I stand above party or sectional interest”- however in the
new Empire, he needed a parliamentary majority to get
approval
The National Liberals- strongest political party for the
1870s- ideal allies?
They wished to increase the extent of power for the
parliament and opposed many of his proposals…and yet…
Domestic Policy 1871-1890
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Politics- political spectrum (what? why? trends over
time?)
Germany had 8 political parties (or unions)
In the National Parliament (Reichstag), the deputies
could block unwelcome amendments and could
accept/reject legislation but not create it
Domestic Policy 1871-1890
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See handout: Germany’s political parties 1871- 1890
Based on what you have learned about Bismarck’s political
maneuvering to date, which political parties do you believe are most
likely to support him? Explain your choices.
Based on what you know about Bismarck’s priorities throughout the
period of unification and consolidation, which political parties would
have posed the most significant threat? Explain your choices.
For each political party, describe the electoral trends over time.
Speculate about shifts in political power, indicated by these trends.
Kulturkampf
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1870s struggle between the “Prussian” state and
the Catholic church- struggle of cultures
Catholic tradition vs liberal modernization
South German states rejected Pope Pius IX’s
doctrine of papal infallibility- Bismarck decided to
lend his support to the movement…but why?
Kulturkampf
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2/3 of all Germans were Protestant and the 1/3 that were
Catholic were mostly in the south
1864 Syllabus of Errors (Pius IX)- all liberal notions were ‘errors’
Germans (intellectuals, liberals, middle class) fears that militant
Catholicism would interfere with new Reich domestic reforms
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So is this a political or religious struggle?
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Wells page178-179
Kulturkampf
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1872- Catholic schools brought under state control,
Jesuits banned
May Laws (Adalbert Falk Minister of Religion) 1873
The state educated priests
The state oversaw the Church’s jurisdiction over its own
affairs in Rome
Clerical appointments could be vetoed
Priests lost their land/asset endowments
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1875 Civil marriage compulsory for all couples
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Effects of the Kulturkampf
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See the political party handout
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Wells 180- 181
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1878 Bismarck accepts defeat- but only because he
had a new and worse enemy- socialists
Basically it backfired, but why?
Pius dies in 1878 (finally!), Leo XIII much more cooperative
Economics
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Free trade- essential principle for the National Liberals
(and the Zollverein)
1879- Bismarck ditched the liberals and free tradeturned to the Conservative and Centre party (see
political party handout)
Instituted tariffs to protect German industry and
farming
Why?
Economics
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1870’s- Economic Depression- bad harvests, cheap wheat from
USA and Russia
Bismarck (Junker, landowner)- German reliance on foreign grain
would weaken the empire in times of war
Austria, France and Russia had adopted protective tariffs in the
late 1870s- Bismarck saw he could follow suit despite
opposition of liberals
One final problem- the cost of the new German Empire was
oppressive to the revenue streams of Germany (not enough
taxes- damn liberals)- new tariffs, new money
Political Factors
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Political advantages to abandoning free trade- landowners
and industrialists wanted tariffs- new base of support for
Bismarck
1878 elections- look at the data*
1879 Tariff Act- “…let us finally close our doors and erect
some barriers…in order to reserve for German
industrialists at least the home market, which because of
German good nature, has been exploited by foreigners”
Bismarck had firmly committed himself to the conservative
side- National Liberals split (again)- liberal era is over
Bismarck and Socialism
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1869 Social Democratic Worker’s Party (Marxist)
1875 Social Democratic Party (SPD)
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Bismarck feared socialists- “criminals”
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Socialism was a threat to the type of society he
intended to maintain- class warfare essentiallyincrease of industry, increase of socialists
Assassination Attempts
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1876 Bismarck was stopped trying to pass a law
forbidding socialist publications
1878 assassination attempt on Wilhelm I (anarchist- no
connection to the SPD)
1878 assassination attempt #2 on Wilhelm I (no
connection to the SPD)
Liberals stopped his proposals so he dissolved the
parliament- 1878 election data*
Bismarck and Socialism
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New Reichstag- October 1878 Anti-Socialist Laws
Trade unions and socialist organizations banned
Socialist meetings were to be broken up
Socialist publications banned
Results- the movement went underground in some parts,
in other areas of Germany, the laws were interpreted
differently
Proceeding elections- see data
State Socialism
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Repression is one tactic- didn’t really work- so what else could he do?
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Kill socialism with socialism- wean the working class by introducing state socialism
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Strong tradition in Prussia (and Germany) that the most important role of the
state was the promotion of the material well being of its people
“it is necessary to have a definite advancement in the welfare of the working
classes”
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1883 Sickness Insurance Act
1884 Accident Insurance Act
1889 Old Age and Disability Act
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Otto Von Bismarck had just created the first welfare state
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